Lubricating fitting



F. H. EHNTS LUBRICATING FITTING Oct. 15, 1940.

Filed April 20, 1933 INVENTOR 7 v %TT0RN 155 7- overhang for the flangeis to positively prevent the removal of the tubular element'from thecasing. The tubular element l8, it will be noted, is of smaller diameterthan the bores of the casing through which it extends, thereby providinga chamber 2! between said tubular element and the inner wall of the boreof the casing. The casing In is formed with one or more openlugs 22therethrough leading from the chamber -2i to' the exterior of thecasii'igfor a purposewhich will be presently described. At its lower endthe casing is somewhat reduced in diameter and externallyscrew-threaded, as indicated at 23.

The screw-threaded portion 23 is adapted to engage in the bearinghousing of a ball or roller bearing (not shown) while the screw threadedportion I2 is adapted to accommodate any. conven tional form of highpressure lubricating fitting or a hand compression grease clip (notshown) and to receive the viscous lubricant from said members forcharging into thebearing.

When the viscous lubricant which has been charged into the hearing hasreached" a predetermined amount, determined by the calibration of thecross-sectional area of the annular opening 24 between, the tubularelement I8 and the wall of the bore through the casing, the backpressure built up by said lubricant will fiow backwardly intothe chamber2! and out through the openings 22 to provide a visibletell-tale'indicating that the bearing has been adequately charged withlubricant. By varying the area of the opening 24 the back pressure atwhich the lubricant will provide a tell-tale, can be controlled:

In the embodiment of my inventionshown in Fig. 4 the bore through thecasing below the shoulder II is of uniform diameter and the tubularelement 25 is, likewise of uniform diameter and extends to a point whichis substantially flush with the bottom of the casing II. In thisembodiment of my invention I prefer to form the flange 20 on the tubularelement from a separate piece of material in theform of a washer whichmay be riveted or otherwise secured to the? end vof the tubular portion.The cross-sectional area of the annular opening 21 between the lower endof the tubular element 25 and the wall of the bore of the casing willgovern the back. pressure at which the viscous lubricant will movebackwardly from the bearing being charged, and out through the openings22. v t 7 Under certain circumstances the ball and roller bearings to belubricated are located at points which are normally inaccessible for agrease gun or grease cup, and in order to provide for the lubrication ofsuch inaccessible bearings they are provided with an extension tub,'suchas 28, which is fitted at its outer end with a coupling sleeve 28adapted to accommodate the lubricating fitting. Where tubular extensionmembers of the type described are used I have found that by slightlymodifying the construction of my lubricating fitting I am able toprovide a visible telltale means for indicating when proper lubricationof the bearing has'been obtained. This I accomplish by increasing thelength of the tubular'element of the. fitting so as to extend well intothe tubular extension member 28, as'shown at 30 in Figs. 5 and 6. I havefound, however, that .the degree to which this tubular element mustextend into the extension member will vary as the length of theextension member varies; and further, that the relative increase inlength of the tubular element will be at a slower rate than the increasein length of the tubular extension memtively, from the inner'end of theextension members. Beyond this point, for each two inch increase inlength of the extension member up to tw elve inches the tubular elementwill increase in length about one and one-quarter inches.

I have also found that when the extension type of tell-tale fitting isused it is desirable that the extension .member be first filled withlubricant before undertaking to charge the bearing with lubricant.Accordingly, in using my invention on extension members it is preferablethat the extension tube be first removed from the bearing and thelubricant charged into the charging end of the fitting holding thefinger over the discharge end of the extension member until thetell-tale discharge of lubricant through the openings 22 The extensionmember isjthen is obtained. screwed into the bearing and the charging ofthe bearing is proceeded with until the lubricantagain issues forth fromthe openings 22. when this occurs, it is an indication that the bearingis adequately lubricated.

I have not definitely ascertained the precise relationship betweentheiengths and diameters of extension members with respect to thetubular, extensions therein for-other than standard one-"V eighth inchiron pipe and substantially one-eighth inch tubular extension elements,but it will .be apparent that for extension members of diflerentcharacters and dimensions the relative lengths of these members may beexperimentally ascertained. I

From the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that I havedevised a simple and practicable fitting for insuring adequatelubrication of ball and roller, bearings and guarding againstoverchargingsuch, bearings with lubricant, and while I haveshown anddescribedcertain preferred embodiments .of my invention it is to beunderstood that I do not wish to be limited to the details ofconstruction disclosed since the same may be varied within the range ofengineering skill without departingfrom the spirit of my invention. 7 vI WhatIclaimisz' 1. A lubricating fitting comprising a tubular casinghaving means" for engagement with a source of viscous lubricant,=meansfor attachment to a member for receiving the lubricant upon dischargefromthe fitting under pressure, said casing having a shoulder and atubular element disposed within the bore-of the casing in spacedrelation to the wall of said bore-andhaving a part seating on saidshoulder, and said casing having an opening therein providing opencommunication ment means and a tubular element disposed within the boreof the casing in spaced relation to the wall of said bore and having apart seatingl on said shoulder, and said casing having an openingtherein providing open communication be tween the exterior of the casingand the space between the wall of the casing bore and the outer wall orthe tubular element.

3. A lubricating fitting comprising a tubular casing havingscrew-threaded means within its I bore for engagement with asupplemental fitting forcharging viscous lubricant through the cas ing,external screw-threaded means for attachment to a member for receivingthe lubricant upon discharge from the fitting under pressure, saidcasing having a shoulder within its. bore inwardly oi the screw-threadedmeans and a tu- "bular element disposed within the bore of the casing inspaced relation to the wall of said tube ,and having a flange at oneend'seating on said shoulder and being held in fixed relation thereon,and said' casing having an opening therein providing open communicationbetween the exterior oi the casing and'the space between the wall of thecasing bore and theouter wall of the tubular element.

4. A lubricating fitting comprising a tubular casing having means forengagement with a ior receiving the' lubricant upon discharge from thefitting under pressure and a tubular element. disposed within the boreof said casing and pro- 3 jecting a substantial distance beyond the end.01

source of viscous lubricant, a tubular extension member adapted forconnection with a chamber the casing into the tubular extension memberand terminating rearwardly oi the end of said extension member, theouter wall oi said tubular element being disposed in spaced relation'tothe walls 01' the bores 01! the casing and the extension'member. Y

5. A. tell-tale lubricating fitting for indicating at a point remotefrom a bearing housing to be lubricated when said bearing housing hasbeen properly lubricated, comprising a tubular member one end of whichhas means forv attachment to a bearing housing for receiving viscouslubricant,

6. A tell-tale lubricating fitting for indicating 0 at a point remotefrom a bearing housing to be lubricated when said bearing housing hasbeen properly lubricated, comprising a tubular member one end of whichhas means for attachment to a bearing housing for receiving viscouslubricant, a tubular element within the tubular member and spaced fromthe inner wall thereof, said tubular element having one end spacedrearwardly of the.

discharge end of the tubular member and the other end of the tubularelement having means for engagement with a source of viscous lubricant,said tubular element'being adapted to have the viscous lubricantdischarged therethrough into the tubular member and from there into thebearing housing, said tubular member adjacent .its outer end having anopening therein providing vopen communication between the exterior ofsaid Y r member and the space between the wallsof the tubular member andthe tubular element, the

. various parts of the fitting being fixed relatively to each other inuse.

